


Revival

by idrilhadhafang



Series: Revival Series [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amputation, Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, By Palpatine, Darth Vader Lives, Darth Vader Redemption, Decapitation, Fix-It, Force Healing, Gen, Nonconsensual Shmi Skywalker/Palpatine, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Character Death, Past Leia Organa/Luke Skywalker - Freeform, Past Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, Past Rape/Non-con, Past forced pregnancy, Protective Anakin Skywalker, Rebel Anakin Skywalker, Recruiting the Criminal, Victim Blaming, mentions of past injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:22:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26639515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: In which one does not underestimate Force Healing.
Relationships: Leia Organa/Han Solo
Series: Revival Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1938064
Comments: 13
Kudos: 39





	1. From The Brink

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LieselSolo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LieselSolo/gifts).



> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: For LieselSolo. Not exactly an Anakin-brought-back-to-life premise, but close enough.

Vader was slipping away. Anakin, Luke corrected himself. He was dying, fading — and he couldn’t just let him die. Not when they’d just been reunited. When they had a chance. 

Luke thought of what he’d learned, months ago, before going to rescue Han from Jabba. Force Healing. Even able to restore life to one that didn’t live. 

And so Luke concentrated. 

He didn’t expect the healing to heal Anakin’s internal organs, his burned skin. The scars. The baldness. Everything. It was like, he realized, everything was out of control, he was pouring so much of his life force in he couldn’t stop it. 

And when he was done — he didn’t expect Vader to look, almost, like any middle-aged man. Younger than Luke could have anticipated. Looking so much like him...

”Luke. No, Luke — ”

It was the last thing Luke heard before he passed out. He was tired, so tired...

***

The now-redeemed Anakin Skywalker could safely say that he was nervous. Incredibly nervous. He’d poured enough energy into Luke to keep him alive, to preserve the flicker of life in his son’s body — he was twenty-three kriffing years old; he was too young to die — but the question of facing the Rebel Alliance was lesser compared to the fact that his son, his own boy, nearly gave his life to save him. 

Him, of all people. He’d done so much wrong. Good as killed his own wife. Killed younglings. He didn’t deserve a second chance at life. 

And yet this one man, this one indescribably precious child — he had given Anakin that. 

There was so much about it that he didn’t deserve. 

He loaded Luke onto the nearest Endor shuttle. Even as the second Death Star blew up, Anakin couldn’t say he had any regrets. 

After all, that thing deserved to burn. 

***

It was landing on Endor proper that he had a problem. A big one, that he anticipated. Even with numerous Rebels recognizing him in his Vader armor, Ewoks pointing sticks at him (it should have been pitiful. Anakin had no desire to fight them, though), Rebels pointing blasters at him, Anakin anticipated it. He only hoped, prayed, that they wouldn’t separate him and Luke. 

Leia strode forward. Anakin could see the anger in her eyes, the utter hatred. Then, coldly, “What did you do to Luke?”

”Leia.” Anakin said. “I didn’t do this.”

”Give me a good reason,” Leia said coldly, “That I shouldn’t shoot you after everything you did to me, to Han, to the galaxy at large. I thought you were this big, menacing monster, but you’re nothing, you’re no one, you’re — ”

“Leia!” Mothma said. “As much as he is a monster...getting Commander Skywalker to medbay is our first priority.”

Leia glared at him. Anakin was reminded of a nexu, protecting her young. 

”You are so lucky," she said, “That Luke’s a bigger priority here.”

”You’re not going to take him.” Anakin found himself, momentarily, back on Mustafar, twenty-two and being determined that, even though he himself had hurt Padme horribly, he wouldn’t let Obi-Wan take her from him. 

And he nearly dropped Luke in shock, realizing what he had just said. 

”We should get him to medbay also,” Mothma said. It wasn’t sympathy that drove her forward. That Anakin knew. They were probably wondering how he’d been healed. 

***

”...vitals seem to be stable, heart rate steady, lungs healthy...” The medical droid on Home One sounded as confused as a medical droid could possibly be. “How did this happen, Lord Vader?”

”Anakin,” Anakin said. “I...renounced the name of Vader on the Death Star. For...no doubt selfish reasons.”

Was it enough, turning back to the Light because you loved your son?

”This sounds like quite a story...Anakin,” said the med droid. “How did you get there?”

"I got here because that...glorified thug with Force Lightning tried to kill my boy.”

”You have a son?” said the medical droid. “The Rebellion was not aware of that.”

”I do,” Anakin said. “You can do tests on him later, but yes...Commander Skywalker is my son, and the Emperor made a terrible mistake. Electrocuting him with Force Lightning...if I hadn’t intervened, we both wouldn’t be here.”

The med droid said, “Interesting.” Then, “So...you killed the Emperor?”

”I’m not sorry for that,” Anakin said. “He was abusive beforehand. Seeing him hurt Luke was...”

He glanced over towards Luke then, lying in the medbay bed, and he shuddered to think of what would have happened if Palpatine had killed Luke. Luke, who had every right to disown him...but loved him instead. 

He didn’t deserve this boy. He didn’t deserve the wonderful woman who had given him Luke and Leia either, for that matter. 

”Killing the Emperor was an uncanny act of courage,” said the med droid. “And your vitals...”

”Luke...healed me." Anakin wished his voice didn’t hitch in that moment, didn’t come close to cracking. ”He nearly gave his life for the last man in the galaxy who deserved it.”

"A...fascinating story.” The med droid really did sound caught off-guard. 

Anakin couldn’t blame him. He knew the feeling. 

***

”Hey.”

Anakin sat by Luke’s side just then, looking at him, how still he looked. Maybe that had been his last act, saving a man who didn’t deserve it. 

”I don’t know if you’re going to wake up. I...did many things wrong with you.” Anakin looked towards Luke’s artificial hand — he thought of what Count Dooku had done to Anakin himself as a Padawan. He never thought he’d do it to his own son. And somehow, Luke still loved him. “I hurt you. I hurt your sister. I hurt your mother. I didn’t start out wanting to. But I hurt you so badly. I’m sorry, Luke. You...you are remarkable. You defied the Emperor, you gave me hope. Me, of all people.”

No answer. 

”I don’t know where to begin with making things right. But...to not do it would to be wasting the chance at life you gave me. I can’t dishonor it. Not now.”

Still no answer. 

”Thank you, Luke.” Anakin’s voice did crack in that moment. “For seeing everything — and accepting me all the same.”

Luke stirred in his unconscious state. For a moment, Anakin thought he really would wake up...

...not yet. 

”At least come back, Luke,” Anakin said. “We need you. I still do.”


	2. The Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Han comforts Leia, and Mothma recruits the Dark Lord of the Sith — much to her discomfort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: Thank you for the kudos and bookmarks!

It was outside Luke’s medbay room that Leia took a deep breath. She could all but feel herself psyching herself up. 

”Han,” she said. “I... already told you that Luke’s my brother.”

”Which does make that lip-lock with him on Hoth really awkward.”

Leia snorted. “Don’t even start. But yeah...I didn’t tell you who was the father." And as she told him fully about what Luke had told her on Endor, Han’s hands shook. It was like he wanted to hold her, but didn’t know if it was out of line or not. 

”I just can’t believe,” Leia said, and she wasn’t crying, but every word she said sounded and felt like she was pulling teeth, “That my own father tortured me. That he hurt you. Froze you in carbonite. I...I did occasionally wonder where I came from, but not like this...”

”Oh, Leia, it’s not your fault in the slightest. We don’t pick who we’re related to.”

”I know,” Leia said. “It just..." A shaky breath. "I know he saved Luke, and I’m glad he did, but...how can I forgive him, after all he’s done?”

”Ya don’t have to. I mean...it’s not like it undoes what he did. ‘Sides, would you hafta feel obligated to forgive some schutta who forced you to watch your homeplanet explode?”

”No.” Leia said. “As far as I know, Bail’s my father. It’s...it’s not fair, though. Having that piece of a monster in me...”

”You’re a beautiful, wonderful, capable woman who strangled the hell out of a slug and saved our butts a lot. You’re more than just his daughter.”

Leia did chuckle. A little. It was odd, considering how long she had to be strong. But at the same time, even the strongest being had to have a moment of feeling safe, of being loved by someone. 

***

“Anakin.”

Mon Mothma stood before the force field on Home One, where the former Darth Vader sat on his bed. Graying blond hair. A face that seemed older than its forty-five years. He didn’t seem like the monster who had slaughtered the Rebels on the Tantive IV.

She should have mustered up hatred for him, but instead she felt nothing but confusion. How Padme’s dear friend had become a monstrous beast, Mothma didn’t know. 

”Mon.” Anakin said. Without the mask, his voice sounded more subdued, softer. Then, “Is Luke all right?”

”Commander Skywalker?”

An exasperated huff. “He risked his life to save me and I’m not even told about his progress?”

”He is awake,” Mon said. 

”Did you come here to tell me what a monster I am, then? Believe me, I already know.”

”You did monstrous things,” Mon said. “But...I have an offer for you. I don’t like this, but we do believe you could be an asset to us.”

”So I’m your pawn.”

”You have a chance for your own redemption story,” Mon said. “The Empire’s still out there, no doubt; there are supporters of them. The Empire won’t go down without a fight just because the Emperor’s dead.”

”About that,” Anakin said. “Palpatine...we’re not done with Palpatine yet.”

Mon nodded, hesitantly. 

Anakin continued. “Back when I was a Jedi, he told me about a Sith Lord who could defy death. Granted, it was more the manipulation of midichlorians, but even so. He made a clone of himself. An imperfect clone, but still a clone.”

”That...isn’t completely surprising, considering his use of clones in his rise to power in the first place.”

”Indeed.” A sigh from Anakin. “He had a back-up plan. When I was initially planning to overthrow him and rule the galaxy with Luke, I planned on disposing of his clone on Exegol. There are multiple worlds the Sith live, but Exegol is the dark heart of their philosophy. I was planning on going back to Mustafar to get the Sith wayfinder, but...I was sidetracked.”

Sidetracked. That was one way to put the construction of the second Death Star and the events that happened there. 

”Palpatine tried to kill Luke,” he said. “And he lied about saving Padme. Those two things I cannot forgive.”

”Saving Padme?” Mon said. Didn’t Vader kill her?

Anakin explained, and Mon, despite herself, could feel her heart break for him. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?” she said. 

”It was like every door I tried was closed,” Anakin said. “I thought upon achieving Masterhood I’d get access to the holocrons on how to save Padme, but...that was denied.” He sounded bitter. “I went to Master Yoda and got Jedi platitudes in response, and Obi-Wan...there was no guarantee he wouldn’t have told the Council. I don’t think he cared about me and Padme that much to keep a secret. And Palpatine...well, he is persuasive and charismatic. When he offered me a chance to learn from him...I tried to resist, but it was after Master Windu nearly killed him that I intervened. I didn’t kill Master Windu. But I allowed it to happen...” His voice cracked. 

It dawned on Mon that it was very possible Anakin Skywalker was cursed. 

It also dawned on Mon that despite herself, she felt sorry for Anakin. 

”It doesn’t excuse what you did,” Mon said, “You killed innocent younglings.”

”And I hated doing it.”

”You also committed multiple crimes in the Emperor’s service. But you have an opportunity. To help yourself. To help us all. After the Empire’s defeat, if they’re defeated...you’ll be granted freedom, on the condition that you help rebuild the Republic.”

”A repeat of corruption.”

”And the Empire’s better?”

”Touché.” Then, “I’ll do it, if only because I have plenty to atone for. I have...conditions of my own.”

”Name them.”

Anakin bit his lip. “Don’t make the same mistakes that your predecessors did. Not just Palpatine, though he did them on purpose, but Valorum. Probably others before him. Make it better."

Mon nodded. In a way, she didn’t need Anakin’s conditions to make it so. 

She already knew. 


	3. Heart of the Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang heads to Mustafar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

It was when Luke was awake (much to Anakin’s relief) that Anakin spoke to the Rebel Alliance, telling them what he knew. He could feel their stony gazes, hear the audible silence as he finished, feel the reluctant acceptance of a former Sith in their midst. 

That was fair. 

The Falcon was ready — and Anakin looked at it, getting truly a better look as he walked towards it. “It’s beautiful,” he said. “It really does look like the fastest ship in the galaxy.”

"I think that’s the first nice thing you said to me,” Han Solo said. 

”I apologize for that,” Anakin said. 

Han rolled his eyes. “Not the only thing you need to apologize for. Just saying.”

”I know.”

”If you hurt Luke or Leia or anyone, I...well, I probably won’t be able to kill you, but I’ll beat the crap out of you with nothing but my blaster.”

Chewbacca grunted something that sounded like a threat to rip off Anakin’s arms and beat him with them. 

”Fair enough,” Anakin said. “To both of you.”

”Good.”

”I’d say the same to you,” Anakin said. “Hurt Luke or Leia, and I will make you suffer.”

”Wasn’t plannin’ on it,” Han said. 

***

”I know this place,” Anakin said. Even as they stepped off the Falcon at Mustafar, he was taken back to stepping off his own ship and setting foot to kill Viceroy Gunray and the rest of the Trade Federation. Of course, he’d been a younger man. A younger man, spending so much of his life in a mechanical prison...

”You do?” Luke said, softly. The only one to show concern — Leia, Han and Lando we’re keeping their distance from Anakin. After what he’d done...fair enough. 

”This...this was where I needed the suit in the first place,” Anakin said. “You know how I ended up in that...abomination?”

”No...”

”Obi-Wan and I dueled, on Mustafar,” Anakin said. “It was when your mother — yours and Leia’s — confronted me. She was hopeful. So full of belief. So certain that she could help me. I wasn’t listening, and it got worse when Obi-Wan showed up.”

Silence. “Was she — ”

”Oh no. But I _assumed._ I thought they had struck an agreement. It didn’t help that Palpatine was planting...seeds of rumors that your mother had a bit on the side, that bit on the side being Obi-Wan. It was ridiculous, of course; Obi-Wan had a strictly platonic relationship with your mother. And me.” A beat. “But I thought...and I good as killed your mother. In my anger, in my stupidity.”

”And you were burned...?” Luke still had that look on his face. A look, Anakin thought, very similar to Padme when he’d spoken of his murder of the Tusken Raiders. Leia, meanwhile...she had that look in her eyes, from the carbon freezing chamber on Bespin, that anger. 

”It was partially my fault,” Anakin said. “He tried to get me to stop. I didn’t listen. But he cut off all but one of my limbs and he...left me there...”

Now Luke froze. “So he let you burn to near-death?”

”Yes."

”I — I wouldn’t have done that,” Luke said. “If it had been Han, or anyone...I would have tried to save them. I wouldn’t have just left them. And...did Obi-Wan sneak onto Mother’s ship without her knowledge?”

”I think so.”

Luke paused. “You...I think she was the only good one in the situation,” he said. “Trying to help you. And Obi-Wan...I don’t like what you did, but he could have helped you. Like Jedi do. Like I would have.”

”Like you already did,” Anakin said, softly.

Across from them, Han, Leia and Lando were listening. Clearly a bit uneasy, feeling a bit of pity for Anakin. For Vader. Maybe they wouldn’t like him. But they could agree no one deserved that. 

And then there was how Leia felt about Obi-Wan. Would she think differently of him, knowing he was imperfect at best? 

“If I remember the layout of this place,” Anakin said, “I think that the Wayfinder’s in the fortress. I can remember — it looks sort of like a Sith holocron, but not quite...”

***

There weren’t any visions of Padme to torment Anakin this time, but there was something about entering the Fortress that was unsettling enough. Anakin could remember times coming here, meditating and drawing on his anger towards Obi-Wan, the Emperor, himself...

”It’s okay,” Luke said. “You’re with us.”

Not completely okay, Anakin thought, but he nodded. 

He stepped forward, towards the dais in the room they were in, his heart racing with excitement. At last, a chance to end the war. He took the Wayfinder, turned to Luke and the others. “Found it,” he said. 

Luke nodded. 

”So,” Han said, “What’s the plan? Do we just plug it in to the Falcon and blast ourselves there?"

Anakin sighed. “Yes. As for the rest of the Alliance...it is possible to telepathically transfer coordinates to Mothma. We’ll have to get back to the ship.”

After liberating the Inquisitorius facilities and calling on Mon Mothma that they needed additional ships (and Anakin could swear Han, Leia and Lando were starting to trust him. A small inch, but still. It wasn’t just to look good, though), they plugged in the Sith wayfinder, back at the Falcon, and blasting off, Anakin knew his telepathic skills weren’t perfect (the closest he could think of was that moment, when he’d felt Padme across Coruscant the night that he’d contributed to Mace Windu’s death) but he could hope Mothma got the message. 

***

Exegol. They got there, and Anakin could already feel the chill of the landscape. 

”Kriffing hell,” Han said, “The Sith live here?”

Anakin turned to look at Han. “Did you really think they’d pick a beach planet?”

”It wouldn’t be counterproductive. Or as obvious. Who’d look at this place and go, ‘Yeah, the Sith living here are obviously straight-shooters’?”

Anakin couldn’t argue with that. 

They entered Exegol just then. Anakin forced himself to be steely, just then, to be sure. This was the opportunity to stop Palpatine for good. He couldn’t waste it. 


	4. The Properties of Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin confronts Palpatine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.
> 
> Author’s Notes: Trigger warning for discussion of rape/non-con and the resulting pregnancy, and graphic violence.

There was something about entering Exegol that was enough to make Anakin feel like chills were spreading down his spine. Chills — everything about Exegol just felt wrong, uncanny. Cold. Even looking around and seeing the strange, bent over figures in what Anakin could only assume were facsimiles of bacta tanks...it was enough for him to realize that everything about Exegol was just wrong. 

”And I thought the outside was bad...” Han said wryly. 

Anakin nodded, slightly. Even though he wasn’t sure if Han liked him yet, as a person, they seemed to be agreeing on at least a few things. 

”What is this place anyway?” Leia said. “Those tubes...”

”More clones," Anakin said. “Without a doubt. I’ll be damned if I know what they are, though; they look decrepit...”

It was further into the sanctum that Anakin saw them both. A man with dark blond hair, and a Milaran, spindly and obviously a teen of some sort (he just looked young in Milaran years), the Milaran drawing a strange double-bladed weapon if only to confront them. “Make another move and we’ll kill you both,” the Milaran said. 

”Snoke,” said the man, “They’re not hostile.”

"Snoke?” Han said behind him. “Is that, um, short for anything?”

"As a matter of fact, yes. Snoke is a title among the Milarans more than anything else; my life-giver obviously did not give me a Milaran name. I chose the title ‘Snoke’.” Snoke looked at them critically. “What are you doing here?”

”We’re here to see the Emperor.”

Snoke’s eyes were uncanny even as they looked over the group of them. “To kill him.”

”If we have to,” Luke said. 

Snoke paused. Then, “There is logic in what you’re doing. He’s hardly kind to either one of us, truly. He dismisses Trias for not being Force Sensitive, and I...well, my life-giver is far from kind to me either.”

“That sounds like Palpatine.” Anakin turned to look at Lando. “I was wondering...”

”So we’re rescuing more kids?” Lando said. “This seems to be a very rescuing-kids day.”

”Well, rescuing one kid and one adult,” Anakin said.

”Right.” It was walking away Lando also contacted Mothma, letting her know that there were other clones in the facility. Anakin knew, at least, they’d do the right thing. 

***

”You betrayed me.”

That was what the clone version of Palpatine said. The clone vessel — it wasn’t obviously rotting, but there were signs here and there, signs that something was terribly off. Something about his pale, almost drowned-looking skin, eyes that seemed to be almost blind. 

”And you didn’t?” Anakin said. “You promised me that you would be able to save Padme. You said I had to all but betray everyone, betray myself, in order to do it. Was it fair, Sidious? Was any of it fair?”

”The Jedi hunted us to extinction. They were willing to try and kill me because of who and what I am — never mind all the good I did for the Republic.”

”They were there to arrest you," Anakin said. “Just because Master Windu nearly killed you doesn’t mean...”

”Was it fair that Master Windu betrayed me, in turn? He spoke so highly of me, and then...”

”And so you hunted the Jedi down." Luke said. He clearly sounded disgusted. Anakin didn’t blame him. “Punishing a whole Order for the mistakes of one.”

”Oh, Luke,” Anakin said, “I think he just thought it was so much fun.”

The clone smiled the sort of smile that a maalras would bulk at. 

”And you’re here,” he said. “I’ll take great pleasure in finishing the job, traitor.”

”Do your worst.”

It was surreal, red lightsaber against red lightsaber, as Luke, Han and Leia fought off the shadowy Sith cultists that were also attacking them, but Anakin supposed it was fitting. On Mustafar, it had been blue against blue. On Exegol, it was red against red. 

Above, he could feel the fleet converging, coming together — ships arriving, engaging the other side. The key was just to keep Palpatine distracted. 

Killing was optional. 

They fought. The clone moved with Palpatine’s uncanny grace, but there was something also that seemed like a shadow of the man who had created him. “You’re not the sad shadow of a man I plucked from Mustafar’s surface,” Palpatine said. 

”Times have changed,” Anakin said. 

”Indeed.” Palpatine smiled again, maalras-like. “Don’t you want to kill me, traitor? Don’t you want to get your revenge on me, the man you blame for all your problems?”

”I don’t do either of that,” Anakin said. “I only seek to protect.”

Palpatine sneered. “No one wants to protect, son of mine. They’re all out to destroy.”

A beat. 

”Son?” For the first time since he arrived on Exegol, Anakin’s voice was strained. 

“I never told you what I did to your mother,” Palpatine said, sneering. “The Dark Side has its ways. Did you ever wonder why she told you you had no father?”

It couldn’t be. 

”What did you do to my mother?” Anakin hissed. 

”Oh, she _enjoyed_ it...”

It was a familiar rage. A familiar hate. The same hatred that he felt in the Tusken Raiders’ camp, when she had died in his arms.

And he was already shouting obscenities, beating down on Palpatine, hacking at him, at his arm, and the look of fear, of horror, in Palpatine’s eyes — it was worth it to see, the worthless scum who had raped Shmi Skywalker with the Force paying for what he did. 

And Palpatine was down on the ground, and the rage was clearing — and Anakin realized what exactly Palpatine wanted. 

_Strike me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the Dark Side will be complete_...

The question, of course, was just how you could reconcile not wanting to fall with the fact Shmi — that that monster had raped Shmi. 

”Father.” Luke’s voice was soft. “I know. It hurts.”

Anakin looked over at Luke, smiling briefly before turning back to Palpatine, his anger returning. “We’ll take you back to the Republic,” he said. “From there, they can deal with you.”

Palpatine laughed. Anakin still hated that sound, that sheer cackle. “You really shouldn’t have let your guard down, Skywalker.”

It was only Luke throwing his lightsaber at Palpatine and slicing his head off that kept Palpatine from killing Anakin. 

***

Even as they stood over the headless, mutilated body of the clone of Emperor Palpatine, Anakin could feel himself trembling. To think that Palpatine had manipulated everything, to think he’d been born of rape the whole time...how had Shmi still loved him, after where he’d come from?

”Father.” Leia said, softly. “Let’s get out of here.”

Anakin knew what he had to do next. Even tossing the three parts of Darth Sidious down Exegol’s pit, arm, head and rest of body, he knew that Sidious deserved it. Every part. At least Shmi Skywalker was properly avenged, as well as Padme, Maul...everyone Palpatine had hurt. 

”Let this be his tomb,” Anakin said. “Ready?”

The others nodded. 

They made it to the Falcon in time, blasting away from Exegol, leaving what could have been a rebuilt Empire in ruins. 


	5. Road to Redemption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group is rewarded for their efforts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

The ride back to Endor was something that Anakin found hard as it was. Knowing that Palpatine had created him, that he had been conceived not in love, but in violence — it was enough to make his hands shake so badly that he couldn’t even think. It had been a victory, of sorts, that he hadn’t repeated his father’s ways with Padme. He hadn’t done everything right with her. He knew that much. After all, Luke and Leia had been conceived in love, all the love that they had for each other. 

Love could create life, but also violence...

”Hey,” Luke said. He walked over towards Anakin. “You okay?”

”I wish I could say it was.” Anakin sighed. “When I was younger, I wanted a father figure. I searched everywhere — Obi-Wan’s Master, Qui-Gon, even Palpatine, when I knew him. And now...” He ran a hand through graying hair. “I’m more worried about you, Luke. And Leia. I mean...I don’t want either of you to live with being the grandchildren of a rapist.”

“He’s only my grandfather by blood,” Luke said. “And my grandmother was no doubt strong. Stronger than him.”

Anakin smiled faintly. “She was always kind. Always. Supportive, worried about me a lot. I grew up a slave — we were both slaves on Tatooine. But she never gave into despair or bitterness. Even when she was bleeding out from what the Tusken Raiders did, she focused on me. Her love for me.” His voice cracked. “I think if she met you and Leia, she would have loved you.”

Luke nodded. “I think I would have loved her too.”

They sat together, quietly mourning Shmi, together. 

***

It was Mothma who gave them their awards. “What you have done,” she said, “Is beyond words. You fought beautifully. The war’s not over, but we’ll face whatever hardship comes our way nonetheless. To protect, to defend, and not to yield.”

It was something Anakin thought he would never receive again. Or ever. Knowing he had done the right thing. They all had. 

He turned to Luke. To Han and Leia and Lando. To Snoke and Trias. To everyone else receiving those medals. And for the first time in twenty-three years, Anakin Skywalker (not a Palpatine, but a Skywalker) knew he was heading in the right direction. 


End file.
